Uncapping tool



J. s. HARDI MAN UNCAPPING TOOL' Filed July 7, 1925 MINIMUM]! Q 7 22',Svwemtoz g 4 Lima J'fiamz'mmz Patented duly 1d, 1928.

UhlHTEE arsr JAMES S. HARDIIVIAN, OF LONG ISLAND CITY. NEW YORK,ASSIGNOB, TO ANCHOR CAP AND CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF LONG ISLAND CITY,NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

UNCA PPING TOOL.

Application filed July 7,

This invention relates to uncapping tools and the like. and particularlyto an uncapping tool or opener peculiarly adapted for opening containerssealed under a vac- 5 uum with a. relatively large diameter closurewhich is side sealed to the container.

Heretofore' in the art, various types of leverage devices have beenproposed for removing sealing capsfrom containers. Some of these priorart devices have been made of cast metal, and have consisted of ahandle, a fulcrum portion, and a cap engaging memher. the last two partsbeing necessarily of such small size that they had little strength andrendered the casting of the too] difficult and expensive. It has alsobeen suggested that devices of this character be made from wire, butwire devices are not suitable for opening relatively large sizedpackages such as jelly' jars and the like, especially when sealed undera vacuum, because of the limitations on the shapes of wire devices, andalso because of the lack of strength and rigidity of wire of the sizewhich could be used for the purpose.

in the prior art, openers have also been stamped from sheet metal butthese openers have either been of comparatively compli cated forms whichwere relatively expensive and ditlicult to manufacture, or have been offorms which do not have suiiicient strength and rigidity for removinglarge sized closures. One form of prior art opener consists of a flatpiece of metal comprising a fulcrum portion, a cap engaging jaw and aring through which the user inserts his finger in manipulating theopener. This type of opener is not suitable for removing large closureswhich require the application of a large uncapping force. for the reasonthat such openers are much too weak and flexible to apply the requisiteforce, and for the further reason that it is diiiicult for the user toexert much force by pulling with one finger.

The present invention overcomes the difiiculties of the known prior artby providing a stamped sheet metal opener, comprising a substantiallyflat body portion having inte:

5o gral therewith a fulcrum member, a cap engaging iaw and reenforcingflange which extends along thefulcrum member, passes around the entireopener, and terminates at the cap engaging aw, thereby stiffening and,

ill

1925. Serial No. 41,939.

strengthening the entire opener. This cone5 struction enables the openerto be made of very light weight sheet metal and still have suti'icientstrength and rigidity to adapt it for removing large sized closuressealed. to

a container under a vacuum. The form of tit) the opener is such that itcan be manufactured by a simple stamping operation. thus enabling it tobe manufactured at an extremely low cost.

The principal object of the present invene5 tion is an uncapping tool,or the like. having a flat edgewise disposed body portion carrying areentorced cap engaging jaw and a reentorced fulcrum member integralwith the body portion.

Another object of the present invention is a sheet metal uncapping toolhaving a relatively fiat body portion terminating at one end in afulcrum extension and a cap engaging jaw, and having a reenforcingflange extending around the outer boundary of the opener;

Another object of the present invention is to provide a strong,inexpensive, and readily manufactured uncapping t-ool parso ticularlyadapted for removing side sealed closures from jelly glasses and thelike.

Other objects of the present invention will be obvious from thefollowing description.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is an elevational view showing a tool embodyingthe present invention, and the manner of using it in opening a Wellknown type of side sea-led, package.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the operating end ofthe opener.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the tool showing the reverse'of theside shown in v Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the flange side of a modified form ofopener.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the reverse side of the openershown in Fig. 4.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2. and 3 of the drawings, the preferred embodimentof the invenmg tion is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, andcomprises a fiat body portion 1 having a rounded rear end 2 and anoperating end which comprises a fulcrum 4, and a cap engaging jaw 5. Theface of the fulwe cruni 4 comprises a flange 3 which gradually increasesin width from the cap receiving recess 6 until it merges into a roundednose 5 right hand side of the tool.

a ing the entire tool.

As clearly illustrated in the drawings, the cap engaging jaw is'inclineddownwardly toward the recess 6. As shown lll lbjlg. 1, this permits theforward edge of the aw to H) engage the gasket 8 at a point contiguousto the container 9, thus enabling the tool to get a firm bite on thegasket and pull the entire gasket and head of the cap upwardly andoutwardly. The wide flange 3 of the l5 fulcrum 4 provides adequatebearing surfaces on the top of the cap; and this together'with therounded nose 7 enables the user to remove the closure in a positiveclean cut manner instead of denting' and mutilat- 20. ing the top of thecap. By reason of the flat flange 3 of the fulcrum member 4 and the fiatedge 10 of the cap engaging aw, the opener is firmly wedged in positionduring the opening operation, thus preventing it from rolling in thehand of the user.

Beneath the cap engaging jaw is a comparatively large section of metal12 which firmly supports the jaw and serves to transmit the openingforces to the handle portion 1. The rounded rear end 2 is preferablyprovided with a hole 13 which may be used to hang up the tool, andpreferably this hole is made quite large in order to reduce the weightof the tool and thus save shipping expense when the openers are shippedin bulk.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is that disclosed in myprior copending application 24,738, filed April 21st, 1925,

40 of which the present application is a continuation in part. This formof the opener is similar to that disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 except thatit is not provided with a-rounded nose and the cap en aging jaw is notdown- 5 wardly inclined. T is form of the opener comprises a flat bodyportion 20, having an operating end comprising a fulcrum 21 and a capengaging jaw 22. The face of the fulcrum 21 comprises a flat face23'which'gives adequate bearing surface onthe top ofthe closure. Theentire opener is stifl'ened and reenforced by a flange 24 which startsat the end of the fulcrum, passes around the entire opener andterminates in an edge 25 extending perpendicularly from the jaw 22. eform of opener shown in Figs. 1-

In th to 3, the .reenforcing flange is on the left z 'hand side of thetool, while in the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the flange is on thethat either form of tool may be made with flange on'either side, but itis preferable to place the flange on the left hand side, as

- in Figs. 1 to 3, if the-opener is to be manipuc 5 lated with the righthand, and vice versa.

It is obvious This places the flat side of the opener against the palmof the hand which is the more comfortable position.

It is realized that the present invention may be embodied in forms otherthan those particularly disclosed herein, and hence it is desired thatthe present disclosure be eonsidered as illustrative and not aslimiting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a tool of the class described; anoperating end comprising a flatedgewise disposed fulcrum' member provided with a rounded nose; areenforcing flange integral with said fulcrum member and extending tright angles therefrom, said flange extending along the cap engagingedge of the fulcrum member and around the rounded nose thereof; and acap engaging jaw beneath said fulcrum.

2. An uncapping tool stam ed from .a single piece of sheet metal; ancomprising a Hat body portion adapted to be edgewise disposed, said bodyportion having-a hole in the rear end thereof; a flat cap engaging jawformed from a curved protuberance of metal; a flat fulcrum adapted torest edgewise on a cap to be removed, said fulcrum having a roundednose; and a flange pro jecting at right angles from said fulcrum tostrengthen it and provide a flat bearing surface therefor, said flangebeing continued around the edge of the tool and terminating in asquaredend which is adapted to supplement the cap 'engagin jaw.

3. In an uncapping too an operating end comprising a flat edgewisedisposed-fulcrum i member; a flange integral with said fulcrum memberand extending at right angles there-. from, said flange extending "alongthe cap engaging edge of the fulcrum member to' strengthen the fulcrummember and form a] relatively large bearing surfaceon the top 1 jawbeneath said fulcrum. P

4. In an uncapping tool; a fiat jaw posiof a cap tobe removed; and a capengaging removed; and a flange angles from said jaw at t adapted tocontact tangentially with a side" tioned edgewise with respect to a capto projecting at right"; e end ther'eoflsaid J flange forming a narrowengaging surface-1 sealed container and obtain a firm bite on the gasketat a pointcontiguous to th'con tainer.

5. In an uncapping tool, an operatin end comprising; an edgewisedis osedfu erum member, a flange integral wit said fulcrum member and extendinglaterally therefrom .to strengthen the fulcrum member and to form arelatively large bearing surface on the top of the cap to be removed, acap engaging jaw beneath said fulcrum, member edgewise disposed withrespect to a cap to be removed, and a flange projecting laterally fromsaid jaw to form a narrow engaging surface adapted to contacttangentially with a cap on a container at a point contiguous to thecontainer.

6. In an uncapping tool of the class described, the combination of asubstantially flat jaw positioned edgewise with respect to a ca to beremoved, and a flange projecting aterally from said jaw to strengthensaid jaw and to form a relatively wide engaging surface adapted toengage a cap tangentially of a container.

7 In an uncapping tool ofthe class described, an operating endcomprising a substantially flat edgewise disposed fulcrum member, anintegral flange extending laterally from said edgewise disposed fulcrum.

JAMES s. HARDIMAN.

